Small plane crashes outside Philippine capital, killing seven

MANILA: Seven people died when a small plane crashed into a house north of the Philippine capital on Saturday, aviation and police officials said.

The Piper 23 Apache twin-engined aircraft, operated by Lite Air Express, had just taken off from a small nearby airport, said Eric Apolonio, spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). It was carrying six people, including two pilots, and was en route to Laoag in northwestern Luzon.

The plane crashed into the house of an 80-year-old woman, who was inside at the time, police spokesman Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said in a text message. All seven were killed.

“The house was burned while the aircraft was totally wrecked. All seven victims died on the spot,” Bulalacao said.

All aircraft operated by Lite Air Express were grounded pending investigations, CAAP’s Apolonio said.